Remember when we talked about Mark Stone being the most surprising Vegas Golden Knights star this season? When you average 1.46 points per game, you're considered one of the most pleasant surprises around, even if you missed some time during the 2025-26 season.
Well, the Captain scored a goal on Thursday with his Golden Knights teammate, Mitch Marner. It was one of five goals as Team Canada routed the Czech Republic early in the morning. It was part of the fluid puck moving that Team Canada displayed as people were waking up to hockey on their screens.
Mitch Marner with an unbelievable pass to Mark Stone for Team Canada
— Vince Sapienza (@VinceSapienza) February 12, 2026
Marner has assisted on four of Mark Stone’s goals this season for #VegasBorn with only one of those being a primary assist pic.twitter.com/Ilryf1L5wk
Gotta add the Super Mario jump effect for good measure for Marner. That was a super-powered goal from the Golden Knights winger, you know?
There, that's more like it.
But Stone and Marner weren't the only players with Golden Knights connections that scored on Thursday. Former first-round pick Nick Suzuki added a late tip-in to secure this game as a blowout. The Canadiens' superstar added two shots, while Marner and Stone had one each. Shea Theodore added two more, putting Team Canada one step closer to winning a gold medal.
But what about Tomas Hertl of the Czech Republic, you ask?
Poor Tomas Hertl was on the receiving end of Team Canada's beatdown on Thursday. The Prague native did contribute plenty of shots, though. He had three shots on goal for the Czech Republic, giving them a glimmer of hope in the game.
Alas, it wasn't meant to be his day on Thursday as Team Canada trended closer towards facing their Southern neighbors for Olympic gold. It was a dominant game by the Canadians, where the big names had big statistical games. That included Connor McDavid with three assists, Sidney Crosby with two assists, and Macklin Celebrini with his first Olympic goal.
Now, that's not "Fun Must Be Always."
As for the Golden Knights? Well, they got plenty of solid representation on Thursday. Marner contributing an assist on a beautiful Mark Stone goal was the perfect sight to wake up to, especially with Canada eyeing said Olympic gold. That starpower showed what Vegas is capable of during the regular season.
How? For one, fans saw how well the duo moved the puck. Marner's fluid passing and puck-moving made life easy for Stone. But it was also Stone's improved shooting that made the difference. The result? A 5-0 victory that showed what Team Canada can do.
Up next for Team Canada is a game against Switzerland, aka Akira Schmid's team, at 12:10 PM PST on Friday. The Czech Republic will face France on Friday, giving Hertl and company a chance at redemption. Be sure to wake up at 7:40 AM PST for this one because it'll be a "Fun Must Be Always" kind of morning.